As I raised my glass on New Year’s Eve to ring in 2025, I had already determined the incoming year’s theme: Renewal. Second chances. Radical joy. After a year that included two miscarriages and the sudden passing of our 11-year-old Boston Terrier, my husband and I were more than ready for new beginnings.

And a lot of those expectations on claiming a fresh start hinged on our highly anticipated family trip to the Philippines, which was literally years in the making.

Ever since Jeff and I started dating in 2005, I regaled him with stories about my previous trips there.

But the last time I stepped on Filipino soil was nearly 30 years ago. In 1997, I was a moody and cynical punk-goth high schooler. And, on par with your average teenager raised in white Midwest suburbia, my self-imposed ennui weighed incongruously against my actual life responsibilities. My biggest worry was which chain wallet would go best with my lime green baggy jeans. Contrast that girl in 1997 with this woman in 2025: Mother to a 5-year-old, wife to a loving husband, and portfolio entrepreneur.

How would this individual on the cusp of middle age experience the land from which where her ancestors came? It was time to find out.

My own expectations aside, this was an epic trip for another reason: Not only were Jeff, Brim Kiddo, and I flying out, but also my mom and dad, brother, and brother-in-law. That’s also why it took years to plan. Do you know what a logistical feat it is to coordinate the schedules and expectations of 6 adults and 1 child for an international trip? (Shoutout to my dad for coordinating and booking everything. As a retired paralegal, that weighty task suited him beautifully.)

It was also no small thing that I would be introducing this world to my husband and daughter, as this trip would be both of their first times stepping onto Filipino soil.

There’s too much to say about a 2-week trip in a relatively short article, so I’ll sum things up in stats and highlights. Generally, our trips are divvied up into two parts: Visiting Mom’s family / Visiting Dad’s family.

Itinerary:

• 2/20/25 – Depart Chicago
• 2/21/25 – Arrive in Manila
• 2/22-24 – Staying at my aunt’s penthouse (one of Mom’s sisters)
• 2/23 – Day trip to Intramuros, Rizal Park, and tea or lunch at Manila Hotel
• 2/25-27 – Boracay Island
• 2/28 – Flight from Boracay to Makati
• 3/1/25 – Meet and Greet at my aunt’s house (one of Dad’s sisters)
• 3/2/25 – Trip to Tagaytay/Taal Volcano
• 3/3-5 – Open itinerary in Manila
• 3/6/25 – Flight back to Chicago

Highlights:

• Reconnecting with family; recollections of my aunt’s penthouse, childhood memories of playing with my brother, C.J., and my cousin, Regan; being left to our own devices while our mothers cared for their dying father; family reunion with Dad’s family; seeing the contrasts and similarities between my mom’s family and dad’s family and reminding myself of why I am the way I am

• Amazing hospitality all around, from my family and hotel staff

• Deep appreciation of Philippines history of Jose Rizal; incredible tour of Intramuros

• Absolute favorite memory was a simple one: Boracay, watching Brim Kiddo play on the beach during the gorgeous sunsets. (I capture this in my latest art piece titled, ‘Boracay Dreams,’ currently on exhibit at the Evanston Public Library.)

• Tattoo in Boracay; small Baybayin “a” on my arm. And Brim Hubby got a gorgeous sea turtle tattoo!

• The streets hummed with impossibly nimble motorists zooming about. Decorative Jeepney lights pulsed with the glow of a party on wheels.

• I also appreciated the political discussions we had with family, comparing notes with what was happening in the U.S. and what was happening in the Philippines.

• Spa experiences: Boracay beach view during a coconut facial; my first co-spa session with Brim Kiddo (She enjoyed a blissful a foot massage while I experienced Hilot, a traditional Filipino massage,)

• Kultura. I basically lived in that store.

• Celebrating my brother and new brother-in-law on their recent nuptials.

• Buffet at Holiday Inn Makati, which served up my dream of enjoying my fave Filipino fare on the daily: garlic rice, taho, pandesal, lumpia, and mango. By the end of the trip, it felt like coming down to a familiar family dining hall and kitchen. It felt like home.

• Delicious, veganized Filipino meals graciously prepared by my cousin’s house staff.

• Descending from our rooms at my aunt’s penthouse to see the table set and meals ready for us. I truly felt like royalty. I got used to it way too quickly.

• A renewed appreciation for malls. I’ve always heard that no one does malls like Southeast Asia, and I can confirm the following: No one does malls like Southeast Asia. While there’s a narrative of malls dying in the U.S., malls in the Philippines are absolutely thriving. Malls are life. Malls have air conditioning. Malls have ALL the stories. No, you don’t understand. ALL. THE. STORES.

As I absorbed these experiences, my gut shot a familiar pang: A quiet yearning to embalm these joyful memories and to preserve this euphoria forever.

But just as quickly as that yearning came, I knew better than to grasp too tightly.

To yearn for the preservation of ephemera is to be in perpetual despair.

Instead, I let the blissful moments wash over me and enjoyed each moment in gratitude.

My main goal was to not see this trip as “getting away” but as “coming home.”

When I returned and shared my experience with friends and colleagues, I found myself describing the trip as, “soul-cleansing,” because that’s what it was. After a 2024 of pain, it was time for a 2025 of healing.

When I close my eyes to use the power of recall to time travel back to the Philippines, I envision looking down at my feet on the Boracay beach and observing the sea water gently wash over my feet like a soft, cool blanket. I turn to my right and see my daughter. The shore water softly sweeps over her tiny feet as well. She squeals in delight at the sensation. I smile, imagining the core memories crystallizing in her nascent mind.

I look up to the horizon and see the sun setting in its brilliant orange glow over the water, announcing its dazzling denouement.

When that sun completely disappears below that horizon, it puts its mark on the end of the day. The sky is now a dusty indigo, and it’s time to rest. But that sun will rise again tomorrow, splendid and shining, ready for a new day.